Life Quote by Kaiten Nukariya
““In the eye of simple folks of old, mountains, rivers, trees, serpents, oxen, and eagles were equally full of life; hence the deification of them. No doubt it is irrational to believe in nymphs, fairies, elves, and the like, yet still we may say that mountains stand of their own accord, rivers run as they will, just as we say that trees and grass turn their leaves towards the sun of their own accord. Neither is it a mere figure of speech to say that thunder speaks and hills respond, nor to describe birds as singing and flowers as smiling, nor to narrate winds as moaning and rain as weeping, nor to state lovers as looking at the moon, the moon as looking at them, when we observe spiritual element in activities of all this.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Mythic Perception in Nature, 2015
People attribute life and agency to natural elements, reflecting a deep, instinctive reverence for the world.
In simple terms: We see nature as alive and purposeful.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and respect nature’s intrinsic value.
Themes
nature reverence
anthropomorphism
spirituality
Mood
reflective
contemplative
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- hiking
- environmental education
- creative writing
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
ecology
mythology
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we personify natural phenomena?
- How can this reverence influence environmental stewardship?
A Different Perspective
Modern scientific views may dismiss these feelings as irrational.
![“Rin-zai also says: "Spirit is formless, but it penetrates through the world in the ten directions."[FN#149] The Sixth Patriarch expresses the same idea more explicitly: "What creates the phenomena is Mind; what transcends all the phenomena is Buddha."[FN#150]” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d4e/kaiten-nukariya-793_spirit-formless_rin-zai-also-says-spirit-is-formless-but_13012.jpg)
![“it is the overcoming of egoism, the destroying of mean desires, the uplifting of the moral ideal, and the disclosing of inborn wisdom. [FN#12]” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ae/kaiten-nukariya-793_egoism_it-is-the-overcoming-of-egoism-the-destr_46308.jpg)
![“The fourth stage is called the Rank of Co-operative Merit,[FN#273] in which the student 'co-operates' with other persons in order to complete his merit. Now, he is not compared with a general who conquers his foe, but with the prime-minister who co-operates with other officials to the benefit of…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4a6/kaiten-nukariya-793_quote_the-fourth-stage-is-called-the-rank-of-c_48041.jpg){kind=icon}
![“2. The Errors of Philosophical Pessimists and Religious Optimists. Philosophical pessimists[FN#214] maintain that there are on earth many more causes of pain than of pleasure; and that pain exists positively, but pleasure is a mere absence of pain because we are conscious of sickness but not of…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/584/kaiten-nukariya-793_hope_2-the-errors-of-philosophical-pessimists_98837.jpg)
![“4. Man is neither Good-natured nor Bad-natured according to Su Shih (So-shoku).[FN#164] The difficulty may be avoided by a theory given by Su Shih and other scholars influenced by Buddhism, which maintains that man is neither good-natured nor bad-natured. According to this opinion man is not moral…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/83c/kaiten-nukariya-793_buddhism_4-man-is-neither-good-natured-nor-bad-na_100937.jpg)
